mhabich

Pysanky!

Who needs lightning rods when you have bunny ears?

Ick.  Helmets and non-conductive paddles?

Gosh, that's quite a bag.  Many of us use an Olympus TG series camera tucked in our lifejackets.  I suspect that wouldn't qualify as camera equipment for you, though.

It’s actually the same oil with the label put on upside down. 

…and Tomas?

I’ll be there.

April 17, Easter Sunday

REI in Reading was delighted to get a flyer and post it near the kayaking gear. 

Call Kokatat. They love to help. 

Kokatat addresses this:

https://kokatat.com/support/product-use-care

I’m not addressing the safety or suitability of anything else here, but don’t use S-hooks.  They come loose and drop off. Replace them with carabiners. 

This shows the concentration of energy on a headland:

Refraction on shore.tiff

Around a headland like this, refraction will focus wave energy compared to a straight coast. But…the event is in August. Might not be much energy then. 

I'll be there.  It's too much fun to miss.

No cure, but a good orthopedist should be able to prevent further deterioration. 

It will sync on your account without plugging anything in. Were you logged in to Gaia on phone and computer? 

Membership is from the date you join or renew, not by calendar year. 

Today’s advanced section. 

https://blog.gaiagps.com/save-phone-battery-life/

You can get an idea of what it looks like at
https://www.visitwales.com/things-do/adventure-and-activities/watersports/coasteering-operators-wales
https://www.tyf.com/pages/coasteering

Gear needed is described at the FAQ on the second page.  Wetsuits typically, not drysuits.  

There's a zoom presentation coming up that would be a good intro:

No presentation is the same as getting in the water and learning how your insulation works...or doesn't.

Yeah, it's a big deal in Pembrokeshire.  It was a possibility one day when I was there, but the rest of the gang wasn't interested...I think that was the day we took whitewater boats and played in the rocks instead, a great choice.  Best with a steep rocky coast with deep water at the rocks.

I had an ICOM M92-D vhf radio for the last few years.  This was the model with DSC.  I wear it on the outside of my life jacket, and we get wet.  For a while it didn't seem to transmit or receive, but I wasn't sure.  All the buttons and screen worked as they should.  I walked into Hamilton Marine and tried it next to the new M93 on display.  The new one gave a clear weather report, while mine mumbled and burped a bit.  I bought the M93.

I posted the M92 here, and Ed asked to have a look at it.  He opened it up and found 

Salt water had gotten in, and corroded the speaker (seen here) and salt crystals were evident throughout.  Ed pointed out that this radio is designed so that the removable battery seals to the case, but the case isn't watertight without the battery, not a secure arrangement.  I looked at the M93 and saw

The case is sealed without the battery, and there's a separate seal just for the battery-to-radio contacts, and a latch to secure the battery.  Much more robust.

Learned:

--Do radio checks.  A radio that looks like it's working may be useless.

--Keep your radio in a sealed case if that doesn't impair access reasonable for the day

--Flush your radio with fresh water after use (but would that have helped in this case?)

--Don't get a radio that isn't sealed if the battery is removed

--Perhaps consider an extended warranty like that from West Marine (many here have reported benefiting)

It does have to be tight, but there's a limit.  If you can't breathe or feel your blood supply cut off (no, not kidding), that's too tight.  I wear a small drysuit, which comes with small neck and wrist gaskets.  I have them all changed to large gaskets, which are supplied on medium and larger suits (for men; women may vary).  I still have to trim the neck gasket.  I do it with sharp scissors, use magnifying glasses, and am verrry careful.  You can't trim wrist gaskets, so Kokatat says.

I’d like to.